"As for the degrees, each degree stood under the protection of a planet. Every degree had its specific clothes, colours and characteristic features. Of recognition passwords or signs nothing is known. The oldest data about the degrees are from the 2nd century A.D. Maybe seven degrees were known before that time, or maybe less, but nothing is certain about that. Some have thought that the number of the degrees was made seven because of the seven planets and celestial spheres. They found out that some degrees might be older than others: the Crow and the Lion might be the oldest degrees, because these animals appear next to Mithras in the myth of the killing of the Bull, in which they are his helpmates."